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In mass disaster situations, human remains are often subjected to extreme conditions, and identification by traditional anthropological means may need to be supplemented by DNA analysis. In extreme cases, bones and teeth are potentially the only viable source of DNA. The present research evaluates the correlation between the taphonomic state and the quantity and quality of nuclear DNA obtained from thermally altered teeth. This study used an extraction procedure involving the use of a demineralization extraction buffer followed by concentration and purification. After heat exposure, each tooth was assigned a color value of 1 to 5 to score the state of combustion of the sample. The results indicate a strong correlation between the quantity of DNA recovered, the quality of the DNA obtained, and the color value. The highest recovery rates and lowest degradation index values were obtained from teeth assigned a color value of 1 (unaltered beige) or 2 (yellow to orange). These teeth were exposed to room temperature, 100°C, or 200°C. At temperatures exceeding 200°C, the amount of DNA recovered drastically decreased or was undetected, indicating that DNA processing of thermally altered specimens should be limited to samples with beige, yellow, or orange post-burn coloration. Samples that are brown, black, or gray in coloration (carbonizing to calcining) will likely provide low or undetectable DNA quantification results and little information as to the identity of the remains.

The ANDE 6C Rapid DNA system could offer a potential alternative for the processing of calcified and soft tissue samples, often encountered in mass disaster scenarios. While originally designed for single source buccal swabs, interest in the performance of these instruments when using other types of single source samples continues to grow. To enhance the recovery of otherwise lesser quality samples, the manufacturer developed the investigative biochip, an alternative to the NDIS approved Arrestee biochip for reference sample buccal swabs. This study explores the viability of using the ANDE 6C system and the investigative biochip to process soft and calcified tissue, and uses conventional sample processing to contrast the results. Though the success rate obtained using the instrument's expert system was lower than expected - 0% muscle, 11% ribs, and 50% teeth -, the ANDE 6C offers an advantage over conventional calcified tissue processing in terms of turn-around time and processing complexity. If robust analysis parameters can be established to allow the evaluation of the generated data by a qualified analyst on a third party software platform, the use of the ANDE 6C and investigative biochip could be a suitable alternative for currently employed procedures. However, as is the case with conventional DNA typing, the quantity, age, type of biological material and quality of the exemplars could all play a role in the success of the ANDE 6C typing process. In addition, it appears as if the calcified tissue pre-processing protocol that provides the better opportunity for the ANDE 6C success is not appropriate to be carried out in the field or by non-trained personnel as special equipment as well as a certain level of exe expertise and technique is necessary. Nevertheless, disaster victim and unidentified human remain samples could be processed in a laboratory setting using the Rapid DNA ANDE 6C platform provided sufficient material is available to conduct a second, 'rescue' sample processing if necessary.

The occurrence of mass disasters has increased worldwide due to changing environments from global warming and a heightened threat of terrorism acts. When these disasters strike, it is imperative to rapidly locate and recover human victims, both the living and deceased. While search and rescue dogs are used to locate the living, cadaver detection dogs are typically tasked with locating the dead. This can prove challenging because commingling of victims is likely to occur during disasters in populated areas which will impact the decomposition process and the resulting odour produced. To date, there has been no research to investigate the process of human decomposition in a mass disaster scenario or to understand which compounds are detectable by cadaver detection dogs. Hence, the current study investigated the human decomposition process and subsequent volatile organic compound (VOC) production in two simulated building collapse scenarios with six human donors placed in each scenario. The human remains were only recovered after a period of one month, during which time VOC samples were collected and analysed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A considerable degree of differential decomposition was observed upon recovery of the human remains, which was carried out as a part of a police disaster victim recovery training exercise. The location of the bodies in the disaster area was found to impact the decomposition process. The VOC profile was found to correlate with the decomposition process. Fifteen days following the simulated disaster, the VOC profile changed showing that a detectable change in the decomposition process had occurred. Overall, the changing VOC profile can inform the training of cadaver detection dogs for these unique scenarios.

Personal identification methods may not be efficient when bodies are decomposed, burned, in cases of mass disasters when soft tissue cannot provide reliable information or has been lost. Various methods currently employed in forensic odontology for personal identification include comparing with antemortem dental charts, rugoscopy, denture labeling, DNA analysis from dental pulp, bite mark analysis, etc., Recently, there is growing interest in the study of enamel rod end patterns. These enamel rod end patterns are termed as "Tooth prints" and the study of these prints is known as "Ameloglyphics" (amelo: Enamel, Glyphics: Carvings). This review encompasses about the basis of using enamel rod end patterns, methods of obtaining the patterns and further suggests these tooth prints as an analogy to finger print in personal identification in mass disasters.

Postapocalypse stories about human survival and rebound of nature following mass disaster are a familiar genre. A major real world example is the demise of most Native Americans after 1492. This es...

Recently, natural disasters and terrorist activities have been leading to mass casualty situations unexpectedly around the globe. In addition to the traditional emergency medical services centering around medically trained and paramedic personnel, dental practitioners having vital skills and attributes may be important in responding to a mass casualty situation.This paper aims at discussing the role of dentists in disaster management and the role of forensic odontology in the disaster victim identification (DVI), its status in India and some suggestions to develop the plans for same.Articles were searched in various medical databases such as Google Scholar, Pubmed Central, Sciencedirect,Wiley online Library, Scopus, Copernicus to gather all relevant information on the subject. Various keywords were used as search tool such as 'Mass disaster', 'Forensic odontology', 'Victim identification'.The search resulted in total of 170 articles which we reviewed. Due to limitation to the list of references we have constricted our review to only 39 articles for more informative literature and supported the topic of the present manuscript 'The Role of Dentistry in Disaster Management and Victim Identification: An Overview of Challenges in Indo-Nepal Scenario' more specifically.Every disaster is unique and involves interplay of different factors and circumstances such as nature of disaster, number of victims and extent of body fragmentation that ultimately challenges the disaster response planning. Apart from the victim recovery and evacuation, the disaster response planning must include the established procedures for the identification of the victims of the disaster. The identification of victims essentially relies on forensic anthropology, radiology, DNA typing and fingerprints, as well as odontology.

The postmortem interval is probably the most important puzzle piece in clarifying the circumstances in case of death occurred in unknown conditions. Over the years, radio-imaging modalities have proved their worth in forensic field, providing additional and significant improvements and findings. CT-scan is characterized by wide availability, fast scan times and sustainable healthcare costs. Detection of gas, hemorrhage and bone fractures are points of strength of CT-scan. A reliable evaluation of the post-mortem interval is interesting in the victims of a mass disaster, also following a natural disaster, for the individuation of responsibility in the efficiency of the help and assistance. This work is based on the postmortem CT-scan evaluation of 26 people sadly died during a tragic flood occurred in 2009 in Giampilieri (Italy). In particular, the gas distribution within the skeletal bones was evaluated, with recognition of specific patterns that were then related to the time of death. The identification of intraosseous gas could represent a helpful tool in the estimation of postmortem interval.

This study was aimed at investigating and comparing exposure dose of workers and the surrounding workers. In addition, worker’s exposure was also measure about lens and finger. Four intraoral portable X-ray units were evaluated. The stray radiations were measured using Pitman 37D and ionization chamber (Pitman). MyDosemini (ALOKA) was used for measurement of the finger exposure dose. Without the shield became high in anterior 0.5 m. Comparing the air dose for the four models used in this study showed a high tendency for the two NOMAD models. And using the shields, the images could be taken 4.6 times of the baseline at a maximum and 3.6 times on average. The finger radiation exposure dose was low with both of the NOMAD models, with no significant difference found. By setting the baseline value without a shield, finger radiation exposure when using a shield was lower than the detection limit for the D3000, and was reduced by approximately 94–96% for other three models. All models can photograph around 100 bodies, so it is considered that it is not necessary to switch out the operator considering the operation limit. But even if it does not reach the operation limit, the stochastic effects of radiation exposure can be increased as well as the deterministic effects of the operation limit. The operator and the surrounding workers seek to protect themselves. It is important to perform exposure management that takes into account the stochastic effects to the operator and the surrounding workers.

In recent years, forensic anthropologists have expanded their work to include a broad range of cases from domestic forensic investigations to mass disaster events, international human rights investigations, and the identification of undocumented border crosses such as Mexican nationals migrating to the US. Forensic anthropologists have had a variety of roles in these cases including mass disaster planning, search and recovery, disaster victim identification, and family assistance. While the theoretical basis and principles of forensic anthropology are the same in these cases, they often involve integration of these practices into multidisciplinary and international efforts.

Identifying the gender of a person is one of the fundamental tasks in forensic medicine. One possible application is right after a catastrophic event such as a mass disaster with a high victim count. In such cases it is necessary to identify the people involved which can require a high number of forensic experts, depending on the scale of the event. With panoramic dental x-ray images the biological gender of a person can be estimated by analyzing skeletal structures that express sexual dimorphism. Current methods require the manual measurement of a wide array of mandibular parameters which are then manually compared to references based on these measurements and assumed ethnicity of the people involved. We propose an automated solution based on deep learning techniques using convolutional neural networks. Our data consists of 4000 panoramic dental x-ray images of patients with European origin, with the images being taken by a wide range of orthopantomographs. Our automated method can estimate 64 images per second on contemporary hardware, it doesn't require human intervention for estimation and it achieves state-of-the-art results with an accuracy of 96.87% ± 0.96%.

Introduction This abstract discusses the experience of a Burn disaster at the largest thermal power plant of the country, which was successfully managed at our center. The experience gained will hopefully help in the planning and management of similar disaster scenes in resource-constrained developing countries. Methods In a National thermal power plant, there was an explosion in the 500-megawatt unit. Hot fuel gases and steam escaped affecting close to 100 people working around the area. Twenty-six people succumbed to death and six victims who sustained burn injuries were referred to our trauma center where they were received about twenty-six hours after the injury. Despite having no infrastructure supporting the treatment of acute burns, proper planning and coordinated effort by all sectors and persons concerned were immediately initiated and ultimately all patients were discharged in a healthy state with no incidence of mortality or significant morbidity from the burns. Results All the six patients were males ranging from 25 to 45 years age and sustained 20% to 45% deep thermal burns over their bodies. All patients were initially evaluated in the emergency where triage was conducted, and four patients out of six were found to have symptoms of respiratory burns and carbon monoxide poisoning. One high dependency unit (HDU) was immediately converted to a burn ICU(Intensive care unit), and all these patients were nursed in isolation. Two patients had severe airway burns and had to be intubated and ventilated. These patients also required hyperbaric oxygen therapy to revert the carbon monoxide poisoning. Out of the six patients, two patients underwent tangential burn wound excision of both upper limbs and skin allograft placement procured from Skin bank. The other four patients underwent debridement, and allograft application subsequently. all the patients recovered from the burn injuries and were discharged with advice to continue rehabilitation at the regional center. This was one of a kind effort where a trauma center was converted to a full-fledged burn ICU to provide the best possible burn care to the victims. A team of 20 people consisting of Plastic Surgeons, Intensivists, Physiotherapists, Nutritionists, Infection Control Nurses, Wound Care Nurses, Hyperbaric oxygen therapist, and other support staff contributed immensely for management of these patients. Conclusions planned cooperation and prepared coordination between the team of doctors and other support staff are the key in the successful management of a disaster. Applicability of Research to Practice In the event of a mass disaster a level 1 trauma center was immediately converted to a facility equipped to handle burns. This experience gained may be useful in the future in the planning and management of similar disaster scenes in developing countries with limited resources.

A disaster is an unexpected event causing death or injury to many people. In such events, a large number of casualties may take place, exposing corpses to a harsh environment for days or months. DNA profiling is recognized as one of the primary methods for identifying mass disaster victims, especially when it involves decomposed or fragmented bodies. The objective of this study was to standardize the use of urinary bladder swabs as a source of DNA for the identification of decomposing and carbonized human bodies by Forensic Genetic techniques. Samples’ DNA was extracted using both organic and Chelex® resin methods; quantified by qPCR and amplified with PowerPlex® Fusion System (Promega Corporation). The results of this study show that between the two methodologies used for DNA extraction, the organic method presented higher DNA yields in relation to the minimum acceptable for the amplification, while Chelex®, although not having a high yield, still allowed obtaining significant amounts of DNA for amplification. The use of bladder swabs has proven to be a viable source of DNA for human identification, since besides reproducible and reliable results, this type of sample allows a significant reduction in the time and cost required for analysis.

DNA analysis is a key method for the identification of human remains in mass disasters. Reference samples from relatives may be used to identify missing persons by kinship analysis. Different methods of applying the CODIS in disaster victim identification (DVI) were investigated. Two searches were evaluated: (i) relating family relatives to a pedigree tree (FPT) and (ii) relating unidentified human remains to a pedigree tree (UPT). A joint pedigree likelihood ratio (JPLR) and rank were calculated for each search. Both searches were similar in average JPLR and rank. In exceptional cases, namely the existence of a mutation different from the CODIS model, a nonbiological father, a mistake in STR, or incorrect profile association, the UPT search returned one true rank, whereas the FPT search returned no results. This paper suggests a novel strategy to overcome these limitations and increase efficiency in conducting identification of mass disaster victims.

During the last years, the use of modern imaging techniques such as radiological methods have pioneered post- mortem investigations. The most rapid way to investigate and document the inside of the body is Post-mortem Computed Tomography. The implementation of Post-mortem Computed Tomography in the investigation of victims of mass disasters is extremely useful., В последние годы использование современных методов визуализации, таких как рентгенологические методы, стало распространенным в исследованиях посмертных изменений. Самый быстрый способ исследовать и задокументировать внутренние изменения тела - это посмертная компьютерная томография. Внедрение использования данного метода при исследовании жертв массовых катастроф приносит чрезвычайно большую пользу., Протягом останніх років використання сучасних методів візуалізації, таких як рентгенологічні методи, стало поширеним в дослідженнях посмертних змін. Найшвидший спосіб дослідити та задокументувати внутрішні зміни тіла - це посмертна комп’ютерна томографія. Впровадження використання даного методу при дослідженні жертв масових катастроф надзвичайно корисне.

Genetic profiling is a standard procedure for human identification, i.e. in criminal cases and mass disasters, and has been proven to be an important part in the process in the repatriation of victims to their relatives. In the event of a catastrophe whether it be a natural disaster, terror attack or accident, fatalities of many nationalities may be a consequence and international collaboration becomes necessary. Current DNA techniques used on a routine basis at forensic laboratories world-wide are very useful, and results reported from different labs are compared, making it possible to be matched in order to declare the identification of a victim. Statistical calculations of possibilities of a random match are achievable since population data from many parts of the world are available. However, decomposition and degradation of the remains are not uncommon in the aftermath of a catastrophe and hence it may be difficult to retrieve detailed DNA profiles from such samples. Massive parallel sequencing (MPS) is a technique capable of producing a vast amount of DNA sequence data in a high-through put manner, and panels of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers allow the amplification of small DNA fragments, often seen in compromised samples. Here, we report the results from a set of 10 samples from missing person identification cases, analyzed with an MPS based method comprising 131 SNP markers and compared with direct reference material or buccal swab samples collected from relatives of the deceased. We assess the weight of evidence of a match by statistical calculation. Furthermore, we compare results reported on different platforms using different SNP panels, and conclude that more work has to be done if results from missing person identification cases analyzed on MPS with SNP panels at different laboratories are to be fully reliable and thus comparable.

Bones are one of the body parts most tolerant towards various environmental conditions, especially as unidentified remains found in several circumstances: mass disaster, terrorism, war, and plague. Typically, the most complex and time-consuming part of the STR typing process is DNA extraction, with many different methods developed, such as organic extraction, total demineralization (TD), and silica-based column extraction. These protocols may take more than a day to complete. In such events where time is of the essence for human identification of the remains, a simple and fast but effective method is required. This study aimed to develop a simplified and rapid DNA extraction protocol from bone samples. Two bone types (fresh femur and tibia) were incubated in a buffer of SLS, EDTA, proteinase K, and DTT. We also evaluated extraction from different amounts of bone powder. Comparison was done for the developed method against standard total demineralisation protocol. Quantity of DNA extracted was slightly lower for the developed protocol compared to TD, however this did not affect STR typing and profile interpretability. DNA extraction was also possible from merely 0.1 g of bone. The developed method used significantly shorter incubation time and processing steps. Our final protocol only required two hours of incubation and 0.1 g of bone powder. STR typing results gave full profiles. The rapid protocol could be used when there is an urgent need of STR typing for human identification or when the sample amount is limited with a significant reduction in cost and time for investigation.

In 2006, unexpected discoveries of buried World Trade Center (WTC) debris and human remains were made at the World Trade Center mass disaster site. New York City's Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) was given the task of systematically searching the site for any remaining victims' remains. The subsequent OCME assessment and archaeological excavation conducted from 2006 until 2013, resulted in the recovery of over 1,900 victims' remains. In addition, this operation demonstrated the essential skills archaeologists can provide in a mass disaster recovery operation. The OCME excavation data illustrates some of the challenges encountered during the original recovery effort of 2001/2002. It suggests that when understood within the larger site recovery context, certain fundamental components of the original recovery effort, such as operational priorities and activities in effect during the original recovery, directly or indirectly resulted in unsearched deposits that contained human remains.

Identification of humans, especially in mass disaster is a challenging aspect for team members of the disaster victim identification (DVI) unit. Identification is necessary for humanitarian and emotional reasons and for many legal issues, particularly for family members. In the modern day, all possible methods have been applied for establishing the identification of deceased individuals. The DVI team comprises specialists from different disciplines. The forensic dentist plays a major role in the identification of victims in disaster. To establish a simple, faster and time saving procedure for Postmortem dental identification in mass disaster. In this article, we present a simpler and faster method, which helps in gaining access into the oral cavity that helps in the recording of postmortem oral findings where required.

Background The successful post-mortem identification of highly degraded corpses and mass disaster victims using forensic molecular genetic analyses is a challenging task and particularly influenced by the efficacy and evaluation of standard examinations in the laboratory workflow. In many cases only highly degraded soft tissue is present, so that only bones, teeth or nails are available for DNA analysis. A lack of expertise in bone preparation for DNA typing in conjunction with the choice of time-consuming methods often leads to large delays during victim identification.

Forensic human identification (HID) is currently based on determining repeat length polymorphisms located in short tandem repeat regions in the human genome. Despite the great progress made in the area of multiplex PCk-based approaches, limitations associated with challenging forensic samples such as DNA degradation, cooccurrence of inhabited microbial DNA and PCR inhibitors significantly affect the success rate of human DNA profiling. We have developed a sequence· specific pre-Pf.R STR enrichment method and evaluated its efficacy using DNA samples doped with various contaminants in view of its application on.compromised forensic samples. This strategy has enabled us to generate complete and reproducible DNA profiles from samples doped with fivefold excess of nonhuman DNA and three to fourfold excess of various potent PCR inhibitors than that is claimed to be tolerated by some of the widely used commercial multiplex STR kits, from as little as two nanograms of degraded human DNA. The "hybrid capture"· based STR enrichment strategy described in this study is easily adaptable and offers a sensitive, efficient, and economical approach for successful human DNA profiling from compromised and recalcitrant forensic samples that are usually encountered in mass disaster incidents and missing persons' identifications.

During the Second World War, on 24th March 1944, 335 Italians were massacred near Rome by the occupying forces of Nazi Germany. Four months later forensic examination led to the identification of 323 out of 335 victims. After approximately 60 years, the identification of the remaining unidentified twelve victims began with anthropological and genetic analysis carried out by a team of Italian forensic experts. Anthropological analysis was performed in field in order to confirm the sex of each victim and verify the presence of only one individual in each grave for a correct sampling. Selected bone fragments for each individual were then collected and transferred to the laboratory for genetic analysis. Although the anthropological ante mortem information was limited, morphological and metrical data was collected for a possible future identification of the victims. Subsequently, the typing of autosomal loci, Y-STR and mtDNA D-loop region of all bone and available reference samples was conducted. LR and cumulative LRs obtained from autosomal STR and Y-STR results confirmed the alleged relationship between three victims and their relatives with values over 104 (one sample) and 106 (two samples). Therefore, the genetic analysis offered the families the possibility of replacing the number of the grave with the name of the victim.

The outburst of next generation sequencing has outpaced the traditional capillary electrophoresis (CE) based forensic genomics in terms of throughput, scalability and allelic resolutions. The limitations of CE-based detection system for STRs (Short Tandem Repeats) and SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) markers associated with forensic DNA phenotyping have been greatly overcome through next generation sequencing (NGS). It offers simultaneous analysis of forensically relevant genetic markers including STRs, SNPs, mutations and transcripts to improve efficiency, capacity and resolution through massively parallel sequencing. The detailed sequence information in comparison with ever growing DNA databases across the world may aid mixture interpretation, and will ensure enhancement in statistical weight of the evidence. Nowadays, a total of 33 NGS machines with low to high throughput are available but two dedicated systems including MiSeq®FGx™ Forensic Genomics System (Illumina) and the HID-Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM)™ (Thermo Fisher Scientific) offer the sequencing of customized forensically informative SNP panels. Ion torrent launches Ion S5 and Ion S5 XL (with additional feature of local computing which enhances its analysis speed) which include same core instrument. The future of forensic genomics lies with integrated high throughput approaches to solve the increasing number of cases or mass disaster studies where forensic specimens and samples are compromised and degraded. In future new real-time sequencing platforms will revolutionize the field of forensic genomics.

Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been used intensively in the field of forensic identification of victims or suspects of crime through biological evidence. The number of mtDNA molecules in a single cell are in the tens of thousands which enable analysis of samples very little or damaged. Till now there is no standard method for identification using mtDNA in a mass disaster victims such as natural disasters, wars and accidents so that the identification process can not run fast. This study found C16.223t variants in mtDNA sequences that can be used to divide the database into two groups so as to accelerate the process of identification through a mathematical algorithm. This variant has the highest frequency (29.7%) of the 91 polymorphic human mtDNA HVS1 along the 300 nucleotide (16,024-16,324) derived from the NCBI database as much as 142 sequences. MtDNA sequences obtained from data collection Papuan human mtDNA groups that have been published in the NCBI. The next variant that can be used as a classifier in a row in the sequence is 16,311; 16,304; 16,189; and 16,270 with the identity (T→c). For a matrix Q is reversible so the matrix and could have the opposite diagonal. Thus the above equation can be solved by using the diagonal method that can be written: U³ = Uµ רUµ aµ†1 . This equation could count the number of transitions and transversion substitution mutations that occur in a nucleotide sequence of mtDNA. With this grouping, the database can be reduced so as to accelerate the process of identification of samples. Expected method of grouping by the variant with the highest frequency can be developed in the codification database for forensic interest such as the police or the mtDNA database purposes of study anthropology and evolutionary biology.

Introduction: The modern high-resolution imaging has been used as a well described aid in the setting of post-mortem investigations. In developed countries Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are now being evaluated as complementary means for cause-of-death determination. Objective: This paper explores the implication of virtual autopsy from ethical and technical point of view. Methods: Published literature with strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were extensively reviewed through use of general and Meta search engines to elucidate the applications and implications of virtual autopsy. Discussion: Virtual autopsy introduces a new era in autopsy examination. It utilizes the technological innovation of modern imaging system to obtain high quality 3 Dimensional images of the body in multiple plains without mutilation of the human body. The Virtual Autopsy can be applied in a broad number of forensic situations, such as thanatological investigations; carbonized and putrefied body identifications; mass disaster cases; age estimation; anthropological examinations and skin lesion analyses, determining cause of death determination; decedent gender, identification in 001 JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 9, No 2 (December) 2013 difficult forensic cases; body length and Individual decedent feature identification; identifying distinct foreign bodies – retained bullets, blades, etc.; identification of injuries and forensic reconstructions – three dimensional reconstructions, bullet tract identification; education and clinical performance improvement process; and research. Conclusion: Due to its minimal invasive procedure, virtual autopsy is very much acceptable to the society. In USA and European countries virtual autopsy is likely to replace conventional autopsies in future. We can also utilize this modern technology to upgrade the century old investigation system in our country. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jafmc.v9i2.21848 Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.9(2) 2013

Background: The forensic odontologists play a very important role in assisting the Forensic team in the identification of corpuses found in natural disasters and homicides. Since tooth is a calcified structure and is resistant to high or low temperatures and is adequately strong to resist trauma, the teeth may be the only structure left behind intact in most of the cases. The resemblance of incisors to a shovel results from the combination of a concave lingual surface and elevated marginal ridges of the incisor teeth. Previous researches had proved that different population shows different shoveling pattern, which may be useful for identification of individuals in a mass disaster like natural or human created. Aims and Objectives: The present study was framed for the identification of different shoveling pattern in incisors in different parts of India. Materials and Methods: 400 patients were selected for the study which consisted of an equal number of individuals from different parts of India such as East, West, North, and South. The Hrdlicka’s subjective scale was used to categorize the degree of shovelshaped incisors. Results: Our study showed that shoveling pattern of incisors were more pronounced in the Western part of India than other areas such as East and North and was very minimal in the Southern part of India. Clinical Significance: The present study on the shoveling pattern of incisors may be a useful aid for personal identification in forensic dentistry.

A fire is an important cause of mass disasters, involving various forensic issues. Before dawn on an early morning, 16 male visitors in their twenties to sixties were killed in a possibly incendiary fire at a ‘private video parlor’ consisting of small compartments in a building. The main causes of death as determined by forensic autopsy were acute carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication for all of the 15 found-dead victims, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy following acute CO intoxication for a victim who died in hospital. Burns were mild (

Background: At times fragments of soft tissues are found disposed off in the open, in ditches at the crime scene and the same are brought to forensic experts for the purpose of identification and such type of cases pose a real challenge. Objectives: This study was aimed at developing a methodology which could help in personal identification by studying the relation between foot dimensions and stature among south subjects using regression models. Material and Methods: Stature and foot length of 100 subjects (age range 18-22 years) were measured. Linear regression equations for stature estimation were calculated. Result: The correlation coefficients between stature and foot lengths were found to be positive and statistically significant. Height = 98.159 + 3.746 × FLRT (r = 0.821) and Height = 91.242 + 3.284 × FLRT (r = 0.837) are the regression formulas from foot lengths for males and females respectively. Conclusion: The regression equation derived in the study can be used reliably for estimation of stature in a diverse population group thus would be of immense value in the field of personal identification especially from mutilated bodies or fragmentary remains.

Forensic dentistry delineates the overlap between the dental and the legal professions. Forensic identifi cations by their nature are multidisciplinary team eff orts. Odontologists can examine the structure of the teeth and jaws for clues that may support anthropological age estimates. Apart from dental identifi cation, forensic odontology is also applied in the investigation of crimes caused by dentition, such as bite marks. The importance of pedodontist in forensic odontology is to apply his expertise in various fi elds like child abuse and neglect, mass disaster, accidental and non-accidental oral trauma, age determination, and dental records. The aim of this paper is to discuss about the pedodontist perspective in forensic dentistry.

Recent developments have shown that disasters have the tendency to grow both in size and frequency all over the world. Earthquakes in Eastern Mediterranean region denote a major hazard. It is well known that this area hosts very complex active tectonics, accommodates major seismic sources and suffers from many deadly earthquakes. One of the main challenges after a mass disaster event is the care for the directly or indirectly affected population, gathering rapidly in great numbers at specific areas. For the appropriate organization of the emergency shelters, components such as coordination, communication and medical care are considered very important. The medical needs of evacuees must be identified and appropriate care and support must be provided. This paper presents the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) developed to support emergency services and temporary accommodation in order to speed up the initial procedures and improve the provided help to the affected people.

The number of cases of missing and unidentified persons reposing nationwide in the files of law enforcement and coroner/medical examiner offices has been called “the nation’s silent mass disaster” (Ritter, 2007). These instances share a number of factors in common with cold case homicides. Included in these is that the true number of each is only an approximation, as many missing persons were never reported as such; many cold cases involved unidentified victims, and not all homicides are known to police.

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. The complex process of cadaveric decomposition releases diverse volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as by-products. These VOCs are significant in forensic science as the odour they comprise can be tracked by trained canines when searching for human remains in cases of missing persons, homicide, or mass disaster. Although this is an emerging area of research, numerous studies have been conducted to form a greater understanding of decomposition odour and its range of applications. While some of these studies are conducted in laboratories, most are conducted at specialised field sites (e.g., forensic, archaeological, taphonomic, search and rescue training facilities). This paper reviews these studies to provide a critical overview of the experimental approaches and analytical techniques used in decomposition odour analysis. Discussion covers the outcomes of these studies, their contribution to the field, and future directions, particularly the advances in analytical instrumentation currently being employed to provide a comprehensive decomposition odour profile.

This paper presents the principles and results of TSP (the two step procedure), a comprehensive (combined) method of age estimation in mature human skeletal remains. The first step consists of the examination of the pubic symphysis using the Suchey-Brooks system for a "pre-choice". Then for SBS phases I, II, III, (young adults up to about 40) the age estimate is given using the chronological interval corresponding to each phase. For SBS phase is IV, V or VI (mature adults, about 40 to 60), then (second step) the dental method of Lamendin (using single rooted tooth) will be applied alone. Both methods are fast, easy to learn and to use (requiring no preparation except cleaning soft tissues from the pubic bone) and are not expensive, making TSP usable by all pathologists or anthropologists in any Forensic unit. It is also of great practical use in mass disaster and mass grave situation. After 15 years of use, a literature review and four evaluation studies we confirm that TSP is more accurate than any single method for aging adults and at least as good as more complicated combined methods. Despite its advantages TSP is, like all other aging methods, not efficient in adults over 65 years of age.

Due to diversification of ships and limited space of pier, when ships come alongside the shallow water or narrow pier, sea area with small mooring facilities and floating matter is frequently applied. Through these, coming alongside the various space is capable and cost effectiveness is enhanced. However, when ships, applying small mooring facilities and floating matter, come alongside, there can be some impulse by waves between the floating things and ships which possibly leads to mass disaster. Therefore, there should be forecasts and analysis of the movement caused by waves. On this study, we develop measuring system for movement analysis of mooring and floating matters which provides base data with movement traits by measuring 3-D exercise information and acceleration at mokpo maritime university marina facility. Also, the composition and principles of the developed system is explained.

Background Estimation of body height from its segments or dismember parts has important considerations for identifications of living or dead human body or remains recovered from mass disaster or other similar conditions. Objective Stature is an important consideration in determining the identity. Our aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between foot length and body height and to derive a regression equation for stature estimation from foot length and to find out the correlation between body height and foot length. Methods The present study was conducted on 200 medical students of age group 18 to 23 years studying in MGM Medical College, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. India. Body height and foot length were measured in centimeter. All the measurements were taken by using standard measuring devices and standard anthropometric techniques. Results Correlation coefficients between stature and foot dimensions were found to be positive and statistically highly significant. Prediction of stature was found to be most accurate by multiple regression analysis. Conclusions In population similar to our subjects, stature and gender estimation can be done by using foot measurements and it will be helpful for Anatomists, Anthropologists and forensic experts to calculate stature based on foot length. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jonmc.v3i1.10058 Journal of Nobel Medical College Vol.3(1) 2014; 66-70

After the armed conflicts throughout the nineties of the twentieth century occurred in former Yugoslavia, identification of war victims is a challenging task. This paper gives a detailed description of exhumed remains identification process. One of the study objectives has been a comparison between DNA results and traditional forensic identification methods. This paper deals with the identification of human remains that were exhumed in Kosovo and Metohia in the period 2001-2012, belonging to Serbs and other non-Albanian ethnic communities (Montenegrins, Bosniaks, Roma, Gorani, and others), as well as much lower number of Albanians who were also killed during the war and post-war period. The experience of this process and the experience of other countries show that there is a need to organize appropriate services for identification of human remains in Serbia, capable to react effectively in case of mass disaster.

Aim The benefits of denture marking include rapid identification of the victims in mass disasters as well as in locating the misplaced dentures in the hospitalized patients, patients in long-term care facilities or in dental laboratories The purpose of this study was to test the use of patient's photograph and memory card with patient's information as denture marker for identification of both the edentulous victims in mass disaster as well as the misplaced dentures in day to day life. Material and methods A patient's photograph (10 mm × 8 mm × 0.4 mm) was placed on the micro SD memory card (15 mm × 11 mm × 0.7 mm) in which the patient's information was already saved. The memory card and photograph were covered with cellophane sheet and inserted in the palatal aspect of the maxillary denture. The photograph and the memory card were evaluated after 6 months. Results After 6 months it was observed that there was no harm to photograph and the memory card. The patient's information in the memory card was completely readable, making its use effective. Conclusions There are several advantages of this innovative, dual purpose denture marking system. It is cost effective, not technique sensitive, does not interfere with the esthetics, oral function or the strength of the denture. It can be used effectively in forensic and non-forensic identifications. The photograph can be used in day to day identification and memory card incorporated in the denture can be used for identification of victims in mass disasters as the patient's information will remain stable in the memory card.

The main purposes of identification process in mass disaster is to find the corpses identity in order to give itback to their family by doing some identification methods such as primer identification which must do at thefirst time because they have highly and accurate result as the identifiers. There are many differencesbetween the burned corpses on the the tragedy of the burning of Garuda Airlines and the drowned corpses onthe tragedy of the sinking of Senopati Nusantara ship , many difference characteristic that influence theprocess of forensic identification. In the burned corpses, teeths are still intact and relatives still could beexamined than another primery identifiers. It makes difference priority between one to another cases. So,from the two different cases, we can choose the different primer identifiers as the priority depend on thecondition of the dead bodies related to the accident in order to make the right identity for giving back to therelatives.